Vault-monument



E-..M. VIQUESNEY.

VAULT MONUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 3. \919.

' ATTORNEYS I mm 1.2% Vzqaesngg H Patented Feb. 17 1920.

'4 SHEETSSH T1 @Wig w/mss a E. M. VIQUESNEY. VAULT MONUMENT. APPLICATION FILED on. 3. I919.

- Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

E M. VIQUESNEY. VAULT MONUMENT.

Patented Fel 17,1920

WI T/VESSES V nv mm J2. M Vqwesnegn L/QMM ya? ,4 TTORNE Y8 E. M. VIQUESNEY.

VAULT MONUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 0013, X9I9.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 INVENTOR (es/2g;

WITNESSES Z. 1% Vi A TTORIVEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST MOORE VIQUESNEY, OF AMERICUS, GEORGIA.

VAULT-MONUMENT.

Application filed October 3, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST Moonn VI- QUESNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Americus, in the county of Sumter and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Monuments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in vault monuments, and has for its object to provide a vault, adapted to contain a casket or caskets and to support the same above ground, and shaped externally in monumental form to form a combined vault and monument, wherein the body and base of the vault are composed of reinforced concrete, having a facing of suitable material, as for instance, marble, stone or the like.

A further object is to provide a structure of the character specified that will be permanent, and that will hold the bodies in dry above ground burial safely and sanitarily, in such manner as to protect them from the entrance of unauthorized persons.

A further object is to provide a novel type of structure, consisting of independent shells securely tied together by reinforcing to provide a storm and earthquake proof structure having air spaces tending to regulate temperature changes to avoid sweating.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved vault monument,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the method of anchoring the facing to the reinforcement of the concrete,

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the connection of the walls of the casket holding chamber, 7

Fig. 6 is a partial horizontal section of the door, showing the lock,

Fig. 7 is a view of a part of the door looking from the inner side of the vault,

ig. 8 is a top plan view of one of the handles,

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the key.

The improved vault and monument is composed of three shells, namely an intermediate shell which forms the base and the side and end walls of the vault, an inner shell or lining, and an outer shell or facing both to be later described in detail.

The intermediate shell is composed of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Serial No. 328.210.

plastic material capable of hardening, as for instance concrete, and consists of a base portion 1, side walls 2 and end walls 3 and 4.

Within the side and end walls, and upon the base is a crypt for receiving the caskets, and it is to be understood that this intermediate shell, which is the body of the vault and monument may be of any desired shape, size, and capacity, being in the present instance capable of receiving two caskets, one above the other. The said shell or body is constructed in a manner to be presently described, and it is reinforced by sheets 5 of perforate material, as for instance woven wire of suitable weight and mesh, which is arranged in the side and end walls 23- l in a zigzag manner, each sheet being bent to form layers inclined with respect to each other, the alternate layers inclined in the opposite direction to the intermediate layers, and at the junction of the layers the sheet is brought near the surface of the wall, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The inner shell or lining is formed from slabs of slate or like suitable material, and the said shell is composed of a bottom, sectional sides and sectional ends. The bottom is a slab 6 which rests upon the upper surface of the base within the side and end walls of the intermediate shell, and the lower section 7 and the lower sections 8 of the side and end walls rest at their lower edges on the upper face of the slab 6.

The upper sections 9 of the side walls and the upper sections 10 of the end walls are of less thickness than the lower sections 7 and 8, and rest upon the upper edges of the lower sections, with their outer faces abutting the inner surface of the side and end walls of the body, in such manner that a ledge 11 is formed at the tops of the said sections 7 and 8.

A covering plate 12 rests upon this ledge, thus closing off the lower portion of the crypt, and a slab 13 closes the top of the upper portion of the crypt. These slabs are slidable 011 the upper edges of the sections, to permit their removal and replacement when a casket is inserted.

The lower sections 7 and 8 of the side and end walls of the inner shell are connected by angle plates 14:, the said plates being arranged intermediate the top and bottom of the wall section, and the upper sections 9 and 10 are connected by similar plates, the said plates being shown in Fig. 5. Each of these plates has openings for receiving screws 15, which engage anchoring plugs 36 of suitable material held in openings in the slabs, as for instance an alloy of some character.

A lifting ring 16 is connected with the slab 12, the said ring being of bronze and having a stem which passes through the slab and is engaged by a nut below the slab, and the upper face of the slab is reamed or recessed to receive the ring as shown in Fig. 2. Two rings 17 are connected with the upper slab 13, in the same manner as is the ring 16, but these rings are on the inner surface of the slab instead of on the upper. The two rings are connected with the slab 13 and one ring with the slab 12.

The outer shell or facing is composed of blocks 18 of suitable material, as for instance stone, marble or the like, and it will be noticed referring to Figs. 2 and 3 that the outer surface of the walls 2, 3 and 4 are stepped as shown to provide a stepped arrangenient in the blocks. Itwill be evident that any preferred contour may be made, and any or all of the blocks may be suitably ornamented by cutting. The uppermost blocks which abut the side walls are adapted to receive inscription indicated at 19 or other suitable ornamentations, and the top of the crypt is closed by a plinth 20. This plinth completely caps the structure, it being a solid slab, without joints or openings, and the crypt is fully protected from the entrance of water. A cap course indicated at 21 is built on the plinth, and a cap 22 is placed on this cap course. Between the plinth and cap 22 there is formed a dead air space over the top of the upper crypt, which assists in retaining the inside of the vault dry at all times. The monument thus is closed by two solid roofs, each of one piece of stone, making entry of moisture of any form impossible. Open spaces 23 are provided beneath the bottom slab 6 of the lower crypt, near the head and foot of the crypt, the said spaces being for the purpose of receiving any moisture which may run down the inside of the monument.

Entry is gained to the crypt through a door opening normally closed by a door 24. This door opening is in the end wall 4, and it extends from the upper edge of the lower section of the inner shell 8 to the plinth, and it is of sufficient width to permit the cover plates 12 and 13 to be slid. out through the door opening. The uppermost section 10 of the inner shell or lining at the door opening is not secured to the side wall sections by the plates 14, but is merely placed against the ends of the side wall sections of the cover plates 6; where it may be sealed if desired. 7

The door is locked from the outside by means of the locks shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

At the inner face of the door, near each side edge, a recess 25 is provided, and in each of the recesses there is secured a substantially U-shaped guide 26. In each of these guides there is mounted to slide a bolt 27, and each bolt is adapted to engage a recess, not shown, in the end wall of the vault at the door opening to lock the door in place. Each of the bolts has a head at its inner end as shown, to limit its outward movement, and its inward movement is limited by the recess wall. A tubular casing 28 extends laterally from the body of the U-shaped guide, outwardly through an opening in the door, to the outer face thereof and at the outer end of the tubular casing, there is an escutcheon 29. The bore of the tubular casing is adapted to be closed at its outer end by a threaded plug 30, the plug being threaded into the counter-bored outer end of the bore of the casing. At the inner end of the casing there is mounted to rotate a cylindrical head 31, having a central poly onal opening 32 and having a radial arm 33 which engages a recess in the bolt. The arrangement is such that when the head 31 is oscillated the bolt will be swung by the arm, to extend or retract thebolt. The head is operated by means of the key 33 shown in Fig. 9. This key which has one end poly onal to engage the opening 32, and the other provided with a cross head 34 for convenience in manipulating the key, is of a length to extend through the tubular casing and engage the, polygonal opening.

When it is desired to place a casket in the crypt the door is. unlocked by means of the key 33. After the casket has been placed, the key is withdrawn, and the plugs 30 are placed. These plugs may be sealed in place if desired, and it will be obvious that when so sealed the door can not be again unlocked. It will be obvious that the opening 32 may be of any desired shape, so that a particular shape of key would be necessary to unlock the door.

In constructing the improved vault monument, the base is molded, after which the outer shell is built up course by course. The crypts are set when the outer shell is of the proper height, and after the reinforcing structure has been placed, the concrete is poured. Each course of the outer shell is painted fully on the inside faces and in the joints to within about one inch of the outside face, by any suitable moisture and stain proof paint, and preferably all joints are very close and tight. The. reinforcing netting may be hooked backward and forward as the concrete is poured and it'is water proofed before the pouring of the concrete. Thus the inner and the outer shells provide a form for the intermediate shell. The plinth is also thoroughly water proofed 011 1138 under side. In practice the reinforcing netting at the door opening will be left exposed, so that when the final interment has been made, the reinforcement may be continued and the door opening closed by concrete, thus effectually sealing the crypt.

The metallic parts are preferably of bronze, and the hooks 85 which hold the reinforcing netting 5 are set in expansion jackets 36. The elements 36 for the screws 15 are also expansion jackets. In Fig. 8 is shown a handle for removing the door. Two of these are provided, one for each casing 28. Each handle 37 has a threaded stem 38, which is adapted to engage the counter-bored outer end of a casing 28 when the plug is removed. In order to remove the door, the plugs 30, which in practice will conform with the ornamented contour of the escutcheon, are removed, and the handles 37 take their place, after the bolts have been unlocked. The door may now be lifted out, and either or both covering slabs 12-13 removed.

The rings 16 and 17 provide for the attachment of cords if necessary. In placing the first casket, the upper covering slab 13 is left in place, and the rings 17 serve as direction elements for the lowering cords. It will be observed that the upper end wall section 10 of the crypt adjacent to the door is connected to the side walls by angle plates 15 but the screws which connect the plates to the end wall section pass through the end wall section from the outside. Thus the screws may be removed from the outside.

After the lower crypt is filled, the slab 12 is slid into place, and sealed with white lead cement. When the upper crypt is filled, the crypt end 10 is secured to the side walls by the screws and angle plates, and sealed with white lead cement, the out-side of the crypt end being well coated with moisture and stain proof cement. The reinforcing is attached to the projecting ends, after which a thin tin form is placed and cement is poured until the end of the crypt is covered. The form is then removed, the door is pushed into the soft concrete and looked, after which white lead cement is forced into the bore of the tubular casing. After the knobs or handles 37 are placed the monument is complete and needs no further attention.

I claim:

1. A structure of the character specified, comprising a monumental structure having within the same a crypt, said crypt consisting of upper and lower compartments, the structure having a door at one end of the upper compartment, and the floor of the upper compartment being removable to permit access to the lower compartment, said structure comprising an intermediate shell ofi plastic material capable of hardening, an inner shell or lining and an outer shell 01 facing, a reinforcing sheet of perforate material connecting the inner and outer shell and extending through the intermediate shell.

2. A structure having the external contour of a monument, and having a crypt and means for permitting access to the crypt, said structure having air spaces above and below the crypt, a partition wall separating the crypt into upper and lower compartments, said structure having a door opening at one end of the upper crypt through which the partition is slidable, and the top of the crypt having rings for receiving lowering cords.

3. A structure of the character specified,

partition, and of a width greater than that .of the partition to permit said partition to slide through the doorway, the crypt having ledges upon which the partition rests, said ledges being level with the bottom of the doorway to permit access to the lower compartment.

4. A structure of the character specified, comprising an intermediate filling of plastic material, an outer facing shell and an inner lining shell, said shells being tied together by reinforcing sheets of perforate material extending from one shell to the other in stretches inclining in opposite directions with respect to each other and tying said shells together, said shells forming a form for the pouring of the intermediate filling and the reinforcing sheets forming supports for the intermediate filling.

5. A structure of the character specified, consisting of an outer facing shell, an inner lining shell spaced apart from each other, and an intermediate filling of plastic material between the side and end walls of the inner and outer shells, said intermediate filling being omitted between the tops of the inner and outer shells to form an air space, a cap course on the top of the outer shell, and a solid slab supported by the cap course and spaced apart from the top of the outer shell.

ERNEST MOORE VIQUESNEY. 

